The Tower, 16/XVI
The Lesson - Change
Innis Chonnell Castle (Loch Awe) - Scotland
The Lesson is Change: The Fool learns how change can strike, like a lightning bolt, without any warning, as a result if stubbornly refusing to unite body and soul.
The Tower is related to the planet Mars, a warring planet with destructive qualities. The Tower may represent a heart attack or stroke, but can imply any type of illness. There is nothing that will make us change quicker than becoming ill. The Tower can also represent accidents (fire, falls, electrocution), spiritual or physical breakdown.
Number Associations: 16, 7 (16 = 1 + 6 = 7)
Physical Body Associations: Any manner of accidents or disasters (especially fires, falls and electrocutions), heart attack or stroke (usually only if other cards suggest the same), any major illness, physical and/or spiritual breakdown.
Upright Tower Energy Wellness Advice
When the Tower surfaces you are dealing with either break-down or break-through and facing a huge change in plans. Repeated failure to learn the lessons that our lives are trying to teach us result in crises or catastrophe.
There may be unforeseeable damages to people, property or possessions. The Tower can represent natural disasters such as earthquakes and tornadoes, but more often implies that there are necessary spiritual changes and lessons that have been neglected for too long and need to be made.
You can no longer reject what your soul is trying to tell you. There may be complete disruption, havoc, a shock realization or crises point that brings about drastic change.
The Tower brings more than just ruin or devastation, however. Although we may feel we are on the very brink of ruin and can be devastated over any changes we may be going through, a need for a change of personal values and priorities is really at the top of the list for causes.
Reality checks don’t often come in the form of what we consider to be positive happenings. Instead we are suddenly faced with divorce, bankruptcy, illness, loss of security or terrible accidents from an accumulation of choices and events.
You may be facing a new job or searching for a new residence. These are the things that shake us up. And there is no greater catalyst than ill health to get us headed in the right direction.
In medical readings, the Tower may represent heart attack or stroke although this meaning is usually only implied if there are other cards in the reading that support it, such as Three of Swords or Death cards.
The Tower card cuts to the heart of things and is telling you that it is time to get rid of burdensome ideas, people, situations and possessions that are holding you back from being the spiritual being you were created to be.
Although familiar structures may be collapsing, the Tower falls but the base still stands, meaning you can use what you have learned to support new structure in your life and be better off for it.
It is time to get rid of whatever impedes your personal growth. What is being destroyed is what needed to go anyway. You have been holding on to false structures for too long.
In fact, if you have been living off of gains made by ill means, those structures will not work for you any longer.
Perhaps it is just a matter of stopping critical speech and judgmental behaviors. The crises may be completely internal rather than external.
The Tower may also represent an temper tantrum that has been long in the making and has served as a catalyst toward breaking from negativity and oppression.
It may also represent 'jumping ship'!
Reversed Tower Energy Wellness Advice
There may be a feeling of being crowded or trapped in an unhealthy lifestyle. Perhaps there are too many personalities living under one roof, or an element of fear or restriction in your situation. In health readings, this might mean that you are restricted to your 'tower' due to illness or disability and feeling much like Rapunzel, who was locked in her tower unable to do much of anything but gaze out her window.
Usually, the reversed Tower implies, for some reason, the shock or damage is not as severe. You may have expected this scenario and had a ‘Plan B, for just in case, and were unsurprised and well prepared. Perhaps you have known, for quite some time, exactly what it was that you were being asked to change and are now more than ready to do so. In this case, there may be an element of relief in this situation.
The Captains Lady's Energy Wellness Recommendations
When our world seems to fall apart it can feel as if it has happened suddenly, with great angst, and without warning. It can be hard to face that our choices and actions, or lack of, are the direct cause of our dilemma most of the time. This is especially true of ill health, the endings of previously valued relationships and accidents.
In today's world we are too preoccupied with the stresses of daily living to find time to get recharged. So, when something really terrible happens we are already running on low energy and can't cope well. Refer to 'Creative Ritual!' to become grounded and centered during this perhaps fearful time. The Tower suggests you have a strong foundation to rebuild upon, but it is up to you to do so. This calls for a little 'spiritual' protection and relaxed time out!
If you are suffering stress symptoms or syndromes, you must eat healthier foods and learn to deal with physical symptoms of stress. Please visit "Eating, Naturally!" and 'Stress Syndrome Management' for information on how to introduce healing foods into your diet to improve your symptoms and energy levels.
Having heart palpitations? Visit, "Is It Hot In Here!?". Even if you are not menopausal these tips can help an excited heart!
Is a relationship falling apart? 'Dealing With Negativity' may help you to sort things out.
Copyright, 2006, all rights reserved.
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